


All It Takes

by c3mf



Category: Cabin Pressure
Genre: Gen, Holidays
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-04-07
Updated: 2012-04-07
Packaged: 2017-11-04 04:11:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,145
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/389604
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/c3mf/pseuds/c3mf
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>No matter how simple, it's always the thought that counts.</p>
            </blockquote>





	All It Takes

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the Cabin Pressure fic meme [here](http://cabinpres-fic.dreamwidth.org/4207.html?thread=4913007#cmt4913007).
> 
> _Happy Easter, everyone!_

Technically, it was all Arthur’s idea (which by all accounts meant they shouldn’t have entertained it even for an instant, but Martin could never really say no wherever Arthur was concerned and even Douglas couldn’t find it in him to nix a gesture so well-meaning and really rather sweet).

The first mention of Douglas having his daughter for the entirety of the holiday weekend had Arthur practically interrogating Douglas for his Easter plans.

“Are you going to do an Easter egg hunt?” Arthur asked, nearly buzzing with energy. “Because I think you really, really should. I bet Miranda would love it! _Oh!_ We could do one here, at the airfield, couldn’t we? That would be so much better than in your back garden. Can we do that, Douglas? I mean, I’ll set it all up so you don’t have to do anything at all—Well, you’d have to bring Miranda, obviously, but that wouldn’t be hard because she’d already be with you, and I think she’d really like it. Can we, please?”

Douglas bore the whole of Arthur’s fervently animated monologue in silence, while Martin ducked his head and politely hid his grin behind his hand.

“And where has this sudden enthusiasm for merry-making come from?” Douglas asked, keeping his expression carefully placid.

“Because Easter egg hunts are _brilliant!_ ” Arthur replied, earnest and eager. “Mum used to do them for me when I was little and I just always had so much fun doing them, and I mean I know it’s a bit silly with me being all grown up and all, but sometimes I wish she still did. So, I just thought since I liked them so much, maybe Miranda might like them as well. Wouldn’t she?”

Douglas paused only long enough to glance at Martin, who was nodding even as he desperately struggled to keep a straight face.

“You know what, Arthur?” Douglas said. “I think she just might.”

For the rest of the day Arthur busied himself with plans and lists of all sorts. Douglas and Martin gladly left him to it. They had plans of their own and Carolyn would take some convincing.

~*~

The first thing Miranda did when she and Douglas walked into the portacabin was fling herself into Arthur’s arms with a jubilant cry of “Happy Easter!”

Arthur enveloped her in a hug and spun her in circles until she giggled herself breathless.

Her wide-eyed delight dimmed a bit when she finally realized Martin and Carolyn were in the room. When Arthur finally set her down, she made her hellos to them quite a bit more collectedly.

“Do I really get to hunt for more eggs?” Miranda asked eventually from where she was tucked against Arthur’s leg.

Douglas pursed his lips. “I don’t know. I suppose that depends on how good you’ve been.”

Before Miranda could protest her father’s teasing, Arthur affectionately ruffled her dark hair and said, “I bet you’ve been _brilliant_ , haven’t you? ‘Course you have.” He knelt down beside her and pulled her close for a conspiratorial whisper. “And that’s why I think you should probably check under the desk.”

The noise Miranda made when she crawled under the desk and pulled out a painted basket decorated with curled ribbons within an inch of its life was nearly at a decibel only heard by dogs. After that (when everyone had recovered from the ringing in their ears), all of Miranda’s words rushed together in a single breath. She was vibrating with so much pent-up excitement it was a wonder she didn’t spontaneously combust. As soon as Douglas could calm her down enough to understand her and get a word in edgewise, she grabbed Arthur’s hand and practically dragged him out the door.

“I don’t envy you, Douglas,” Carolyn said, with a shake of her head. Despite the ruefulness in her voice, the corners of her mouth were quirked just a tad wistfully.

Douglas paused in the doorway, keeping half an eye out as Miranda and Arthur dashed across the airfield, carefully following the arrows chalked onto the pavement.

“I don’t know, Carolyn. Maybe you should.”

~*~

True to his word, Arthur had gone all out when he had arranged the hunt. Directions were drawn over the whole of the airfield and the amount of plastic eggs he had hidden could have outweighed Miranda ten times over.

The pair of them followed the arrows into the hangar where GERTI was parked. Miranda hopped from spot of chalk to spot of chalk, dancing. “Do you think there are any on the plane?” she chirped, swinging her basket so the eggs inside tipped precariously. “We could sneak on and pretend we’re superspies like James Bond! Oooh, or Indiana Jones! Cool things always happen to Indy in hangars!”

“Like finding secret treasure?” Arthur suggested.

“Yeah!”

Miranda bounded up GERTI’s steps, tugging a grinning Arthur after her.

Douglas and Martin trailed behind at a leisurely pace and waved to the engineers, who were looking on with barely-concealed amusement.

“Dad!” came the delighted shriek from inside the plane a moment later. “Arthur got a basket too!”

Douglas and Martin exchanged pleased smiles, which they quickly wiped from their faces as soon as Miranda and Arthur came charging down the stairs.

~*~

Later, when every egg had been found and an unhealthy amount of sweets consumed, Miranda and Arthur sat in the car park outside the portacabin happily doodling across the pavement, a bucket of brightly coloured chalk between them. Douglas, Martin, and Carolyn watched them and passed the leftovers from the Easter baskets amongst themselves.

“It doesn’t take much, does it?” Douglas mused.

Carolyn arched a brow. “To make children happy? Arthur thinks everything on God’s green earth can do no wrong and Miranda’s too polite to say anything to the contrary. If I ever have the occasion to meet her mother I should congratulate her on that. Lord knows Miranda didn’t learn that from you.”

Douglas pulled a face at her and pushed the basket at Martin, who was discreetly trying to paw through it.

“It doesn’t really matter if it’s simple,” Martin said, selecting a crème egg for himself. “As long as they had fun. That was the whole point, wasn’t it?”

Eventually, both Carolyn and Douglas hummed their concession. A while later, Miranda ran over and grabbed Martin’s hand.

“We need help drawing our plane,” she explained, even as she pulled him away. “I think the wings are lopsided.”

Martin went, licking the chocolate from his fingers, and readily accepted the chalk Arthur handed him, examining their artwork carefully, before crouching and making the necessary adjustments. Satisfied, Miranda skipped round to help Arthur finish filling in the clouds and the rest of the skyline.

“No, it doesn’t take much at all.” Carolyn said at length. “Now, give that here.”

Douglas passed the basket to her and didn’t bother stifling his laughter.


End file.
